Three days passed quietly after the battle against the Dark Serpent Guild.
Fortunately, no assassins appeared during the remainder of the journey. Whether the guild had yet to discover the deaths of their members or whether fate had simply granted them a brief period of peace, none of the three knew. Regardless, they welcomed the silence.
As they drew closer to Vidya Academy, the roads became increasingly crowded. Carriages bearing noble crests rolled across the stone highways while young mages traveled alongside their families, servants, and guards. Excitement filled the air. Some candidates openly discussed their chances of passing, while others sat quietly, conserving their energy for the examination ahead.
Everyone was heading toward the same destination.
Vidya Academy.
The greatest magical institution on the continent.
By the morning of the fourth day, the destination finally appeared.
Jayant instinctively slowed his pace.
A massive gate stood before them like the entrance to a heavenly kingdom. Towering pillars carved from white stone stretched toward the clouds, each covered with countless ancient runes that glowed faintly beneath the morning sunlight. Between them stood enormous black gates engraved with intricate magical formations.
At the center, words had been carved deeply into the stone.
THE VIDYA ACADEMY
For several moments, Jayant simply stared.
The gate.
The guards.
The endless stream of candidates.
The sheer scale of everything.
A slow smile appeared on his face.
"This academy is good."
Beside him, Meenakshi immediately laughed.
The comment sounded so simple that it caught her completely off guard.
"Good?" she repeated while trying to suppress another laugh.
Jayant nodded seriously.
"It's big."
That only made her laugh harder.
After finally calming down, she pointed beyond the gates.
"You haven't even seen the academy yet."
That statement immediately caught his attention.
Jayant looked at the gigantic structure again before turning toward her.
"If this isn't the academy, then what is?"
"This is only the reception grounds."
The confusion on his face deepened.
Seeing that reaction, Meenakshi smiled and pointed toward the sky.
"The real academy isn't here."
Jayant followed her finger upward.
Clouds drifted peacefully overhead.
Nothing else could be seen.
"The actual Vidya Academy floats above the clouds," she explained. "The entire academy is protected by powerful barriers. Without special academy badges or permission from the academy itself, nobody can enter."
Veneela nodded in agreement.
"My father once told me that even kingdoms avoid provoking Vidya Academy."
"Of course they do," Meenakshi replied. "Trying to enter by force is treated as a declaration of war."
Jayant looked upward once more before slowly nodding.
That finally sounded appropriate.
A place capable of producing the continent's strongest mages shouldn't be easily accessible.
The title of Number One Magic Academy clearly wasn't just decoration.
After passing through the gates, the true scale of the reception grounds became apparent.
Magnificent palace-like structures stretched across the horizon. Marble pathways connected enormous halls and courtyards capable of housing thousands of visitors. Everywhere Jayant looked, candidates filled the area.
Some stood proudly with their families.
Others nervously reviewed spell formulas.
A few openly released traces of mana, hoping to intimidate competitors before the examination even began.
The atmosphere buzzed with anticipation.
As the trio moved through the crowd, countless gazes landed on them.
Most were directed toward Meenakshi and Veneela.
The rest landed on Jayant with poorly concealed jealousy.
Jayant ignored all of them.
His attention had already settled elsewhere.
Among the countless unfamiliar faces, one particular young man unexpectedly caught his eye.
Something felt strange.
Familiar.
The youth appeared slightly younger than him. His posture was upright, his expression calm, and several attendants followed behind him.
For reasons he couldn't explain, Jayant slowed his steps.
At almost the same moment, the young man turned his head.
Their eyes met.
For a brief second, both frowned.
Neither recognized the other.
Yet a strange feeling lingered between them.
Not recognition.
Not memory.
Just an odd sense of familiarity.
Then the crowd shifted.
The moment disappeared.
The young man continued walking.
Jayant did the same.
Neither thought much of it.
Unfortunately, peace rarely lasted long.
A group of well-dressed youths approached from the opposite direction. Their expensive robes immediately revealed noble origins, but it was the golden-haired young man walking at their center who drew attention.
The moment his gaze landed on Veneela, his expression hardened.
Not with mockery.
Not with amusement.
With conviction.
The kind of conviction that refused to bend.
For several seconds he simply stared at her.
Then he spoke.
"So the rumors were true."
His voice wasn't particularly loud, yet enough people heard it that nearby conversations gradually died down.
"I heard a descendant of a traitor's bloodline intended to participate in this year's examination. I didn't believe it until now."
Veneela's body stiffened.
The surrounding crowd immediately became interested.
The young noble took another step forward.
"A descendant of traitors has no place in Vidya Academy." His eyes remained fixed on her as he continued. "You aren't welcome here. The academy will never accept someone carrying that stain. Save yourself the humiliation and leave now."
The words struck harder than any spell.
Veneela lowered her head.
Her fingers tightened around her sleeves as old memories resurfaced. Similar words had followed her throughout her childhood. Some whispered them behind her back. Others said them openly.
She had learned to endure most of them.
That didn't make them hurt less.
Yet the young noble wasn't finished.
He slowly turned away from Veneela and looked toward the surrounding candidates instead.
It was obvious he wasn't trying to convince her anymore.
He was trying to convince everyone else.
"Tell me honestly," he said, sweeping his gaze across the gathered crowd. "What value remains in sacrifice if betrayal is eventually forgotten?"
The reception grounds gradually fell silent.
Thousands had died during the Sin War.
Everyone knew that.
"Everyone talks about forgiveness. Everyone talks about second chances. But what about the people who never received one?" His voice grew firmer as more people began listening. "What about the soldiers who gave their lives protecting humanity? What about the families who buried their loved ones because some chose to stand beside the enemy?"
Several candidates nodded unconsciously.
Others remained silent.
"The Emperor may have restored their status. The punishment may have officially ended. But should history simply disappear? If betrayal eventually carries no lasting consequence, then what lesson does that teach future generations?"
For the first time, even people who disliked his attitude found themselves unable to dismiss his argument entirely.
His words carried logic.
Harsh logic.
But logic nonetheless.
Meanwhile, Jayant wasn't looking at him.
He was looking at Veneela.
The sadness in her eyes reminded him far too much of a lonely child standing alone while others judged him for things beyond his control.
Without hesitation, he stepped forward and gently wiped away the tears gathering at the corners of her eyes.
"My sweet friend," he said softly, his voice carrying none of the anger he currently felt, "tears are valuable things. Don't waste them on people who haven't earned them."
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"Our healing queen looks much better when she's smiling."
For several moments, Veneela simply stared at him.
Then she slowly nodded.
The tears remained.
But the helplessness began fading.
Nearby, Meenakshi's expression had become frighteningly cold. A faint trace of murderous intent escaped before she forcibly suppressed it.
Jayant noticed immediately.
Without taking his eyes off the noble youth, he quietly asked,
"What happened?"
Meenakshi understood the question.
After taking a slow breath, she explained everything.
Veneela's great-grandfather had betrayed humanity during the Sin War and joined the enemy. The royal family had stripped the entire bloodline of status, titles, and privileges.
Yet generations had passed.
Veneela's grandfather fought for the kingdom.
Her father fought for the kingdom.
Both had shed blood protecting the very people their ancestor once betrayed.
Eventually, the current Emperor restored their family's status.
The punishment had officially ended.
The hatred had not.
When the explanation ended, Jayant finally looked toward the golden-haired youth.
"What is your name, friend?"
The word immediately irritated him.
"My name is Yashvardhan, third son of Grand Minister Veerendra."
His gaze swept dismissively over Jayant.
"And before you ask, commoner, we are not friends."
Jayant nodded as though the answer wasn't particularly important.
"Then let me ask something."
Yashvardhan folded his arms.
"What?"
"Can you see what the Emperor saw?"
The question immediately caught him off guard.
Before he could answer, Jayant continued.
"Can you guess what Vidya Academy thinks? Or are you making decisions for both of them?"
The surrounding crowd grew quieter.
"The Emperor can make mistakes."
"Of course," Jayant agreed. "Everyone can. But if you're publicly rejecting the Emperor's judgment, does that mean your family possesses authority greater than the throne itself?"
Yashvardhan's expression changed.
The trap revealed itself.
"No."
"Good."
Jayant nodded.
"Then I misunderstood."
Before the noble could relax, Jayant continued.
"You must be speaking on behalf of Vidya Academy instead."
The crowd immediately understood where the conversation was heading.
Several candidates began suppressing smiles.
Yashvardhan's face darkened.
"Don't twist my words."
"Then neither the Emperor nor the academy supports your decision."
The words landed heavily.
For the first time, uncertainty appeared among some listeners.
Jayant wasn't attacking.
He was simply asking questions.
Dangerous questions.
His voice softened slightly.
"I agree with one thing."
That surprised everyone.
Even Yashvardhan blinked.
"If Veneela's great-grandfather stood before me today and I learned he truly betrayed humanity, I would kill him myself."
The crowd visibly reacted.
Yet Jayant's hand rested gently on Veneela's shoulder.
"But I would still cherish my friend."
Silence followed.
"Those are two different things."
His gaze remained steady.
"Justice and hatred aren't the same thing."
Yashvardhan frowned but didn't interrupt.
Jayant continued calmly.
"You speak as though carrying another person's mistakes is easy. Tell me honestly, if the traitor had been born into your family instead of hers, would you still be saying the same things?"
The question lingered.
Only for a moment.
But everyone felt it.
"Do you think accepting and correcting a mistake is simple? Do you think being blamed every day for something beyond your control is easy?" His eyes briefly drifted toward Veneela. "Even before I knew her story, I understood that pain."
The words carried unexpected weight.
As though they came from personal experience.
"If you can't accept someone, then become stronger. Protect more people. Accomplish more than they do. Let your actions prove your beliefs." Jayant looked directly at Yashvardhan. "But don't ask another person to carry a burden you were never willing to lift yourself."
The reception grounds fell completely silent.
Not because everyone agreed.
But because everyone was thinking.
Some sided with Yashvardhan.
Some sided with Jayant.
Most weren't sure.
Before the debate could continue, a powerful voice descended from the sky.
"Enough."
The single word echoed throughout the reception grounds.
Thousands of candidates instinctively looked upward.
A brilliant light appeared high above.
An elderly man with flowing white hair slowly descended through the air. The mana surrounding him was so vast that many candidates lowered their heads instinctively.
His gaze swept across the crowd before briefly settling on both Yashvardhan and Jayant.
"Vidya Academy belongs to no kingdom, no noble family, and no ruler."
His calm voice reached every corner of the grounds.
"Those who speak should think carefully before using the academy's name to support personal arguments."
The crowd immediately quieted.
The old man raised one hand and the last whispers disappeared.
Yashvardhan remained silent for several moments before finally turning toward Jayant. There was still disagreement in his eyes, but the earlier contempt had lessened.
"Pray we never meet again."
The threat wasn't loud.
Yet everyone nearby heard it.
Jayant simply smiled.
"I also hope you accepts that."
That answer immediately caused Yashvardhan's brows to furrow.
"Your father is your father," Jayant said calmly. "And you are you. The sooner you understand the difference, the stronger you'll become."
Several older candidates immediately understood the deeper meaning.
Inherited status was never truly one's own.
For the first time since arriving, Yashvardhan couldn't find a response.
He simply turned and left with his followers.
The white-haired elder watched the scene quietly before turning toward the thousands of gathered candidates.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"Welcome to the Vidya Academy Entrance Examination."
Excitement immediately spread through the crowd.
Fear.
Hope.
Anticipation.
Countless emotions filled the air.
The elder slowly raised his hand.
"Let the examination begin."